Raw Materials
The telescoping boom rough terrain forklift's cab, body, frame and boom are usually produced by a forklift manufacturer. Steel is the most popular materials used to make these because they have incredible strength. Sometimes aluminum or steel forgings are used also. It is common for non-metallic materials such as nylon plastic blocks to be used as guides in the boom assembly. The other parts are typically bought as finished products and the forklift manufacturer installs them.
Pre-assembled purchased products can include several of the following: seat, transmission, engine, axles, wheels, hoses and tires, backup-alarm, lights, hydraulic cylinders and gauges. Normally, some materials such as the hydraulic fluid and fuel and lubricants are bought in bulk. These liquids are added as required once the machine is assembled and has passed the meticulous testing sessions.
Design
The common design which is most standard of telescoping boom rough terrain forklifts is a narrow and long design that has a set of wheels at the front of the unit and another set located towards the back of the machine. The unit's boom is mounted at the forklift's rear off of a pivot feature which is raised a few feet above the frame's level. Generally, the cab is mounted on the left-hand side of the frame structure. Usually, the bottom half of the cab is low and located between the tires. The hydraulic fuel tank and the fuel tank are mounted opposite the cab on the right-hand side. Along the vehicle's center-line, the transmission and the engine are mounted within the frame.
Beyond this basic configuration, various manufacturers have contributed to their own unique design. On the market these days, there are numerous options offered. Some models of forklifts use a single hydraulic cylinder in order to raise the boom, and other models make use of 2 cylinders. Several units utilize a side-to-side hydraulic frame leveling capability. This feature enables the frame to tilt up to 10 degrees relative to the axles so as to allow the machine to compensate for extreme axle articulation. This is used for example, when the tires on one side of the lift truck are located down in a rut and the tires on the other side of the machine are up, located on a mound of dirt.
Fork attachments are one more common design feature capable of swinging both left and right up to forty five degrees, which improves the precise load placement.